Roaches, ants and flies are common pests that have plagued mankind for ages. Extensive efforts have been made to exterminate these difficult and disease-bearing insects.
Boric acid is known as a killing agent in roach and ant-killing compositions. For example, Australian patent 22,579 (Fenwicke, 1935) teaches the use of boric acid as a "germicidal antiseptic" in combination with castor oil and turpentine as "cleaning agents" to be applied to sheep for killing maggots. Japanese patents J5-8052-205 (Nakamoto, 1981), J6-1030-506-A (Wakayama, 1984) and J6-1078-705-A (Amachir, 1984) teach the use of boric acid as the killing agent in various complex compositions for killing roaches (Nakamoto and Amachir) and white ants (Wakayama). All three Japanese patents are dried and used in a pellet, tablet or ball form.
French patent 2,491,296 (Lagache 1982) shows a 50/50 by weight composition of boric acid or one of its salts plus sweetened condensed milk which was placed, without spreading, in a ship's hold to control cockroaches. Japanese document JA-72-23198-R (Sankyo Co. Ltd. 47-23198) shows a toxic roach bait comprising insecticidal compositions, e.g. dieldrin, BHC (Lindane), DDT, Sumithic, and boric acid mixed with more than 4 weight percent glycerol in carriers, such as, cereal, fish meal, rice bran, starch paste, sugar, maltose, fatty acids, faulty acid esters and fatty alcohols. Japanese patent J5-4017-120 (Sakamoto) shows a cockroach bait of 1.5-10 weight percent boric acid, 10-50 weight percent starch and an extract of fish or animal bones prepared by boiling the bones in water for not over 2 hours.
While boric acid has been used previously, the art teaches that it must be kept dry, as wet boric acid will not work; Wellness Letter, University of Calif. at Berkeley, September 1991, page 7. Thus, use of boric acid with aqueous liquefiers, such as water, is not expected to be effective.
The prior art also shows the high degree of specificity of attractants in different insecticide compositions. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,460 (Broadbent, 1977), teaches a composition of brown sugar, a binder material (paraffin or wax), dry dog food, maltose and Dursban (a commercially available insecticide) in pellet form. Roaches are attracted to the dog food, maltose and sugar mixture. The pellets are coated with a paraffin or wax to protect them from disintegrating upon exposure to environmental factors. The Dursban is ingested by the roaches, along with the attractant. Japanese patent J53091-140 (Kao Soap KK) teaches the use of pure concentrated sesame oil, preferably mixed with an extract of cockroaches faeces as an attractant for cockroaches.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,792 (Kohn et al., 1982) teaches a process for preparing a pyrolyzate solution of corn syrup and N-methylnicotinic acid for attracting insects, particularly roaches.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,176 (Ott, 1983) teaches a sugar, bacteria and carrier material (such as ground corncobs, sawdust or sand) for use as an insect attractant. The sugar is degraded by the bacteria, causing fermentation by-products which are the attractant. The attractant is combined with an insecticide to kill insects. The insects ingest the insecticide along with the composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,981 (Shimano et al., 1986) discloses the use of various alcohols dissolved in an organic solvent and impregnated on a carrier (such as cardboard or cloth) for use in attracting and killing insects in pellet form.
There is a need in the art for an improved insecticide composition having specific and powerful attractants, having features for direct and easy application, that is not an environmental pollutant or potential carcinogen. Many of the current insecticides are complex organic compounds. Applicants' invention lies in the combination which confers properties of increased efficiency due to direct application of the composition in paste form by squeeze bottle in easily metered amounts to the site of infestation.